On two different occasions, Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” Both have to do with the pouring out of God’s wrath. Both have an eternal impact.
The Last “It Is Finished”
The final “it is finished” occurs in Revelation 16:17. Leading up to this passage, God has poured out the first six bowls his judgement. With the seventh, he will finally and fully pour out his wrath on evil so that believers can live in a place with no sin. As he pours out the seventh bowl, the Lamb cries out a loud voice from the temple saying, “It is done!”
As the end comes, God unleashes his wrath on all sin that has not been atoned for. Babylon the great is made to “drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath” (v.19). These plagues are violent and bloody, matching his great hatred for sin.
If believers hope to live in a place where sin no longer dwells, where there is no death and no tears, then it’s necessary for God to put an end to sin. By pouring out his wrath, God is dealing with sin and making everything new. While many balk at the idea of a loving God pouring out wrath, we actually want God to punish evil! Otherwise, there’s no heaven!
Our culture has tried to tame Jesus. We try to make him safe and palatable to our tastes. We like the love passages while ignoring the passages about wrath. However, Jesus actually talks a lot about wrath and judgment.
- Jesus said hell is a place “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).
- He says that all the nations will gather before him, and he will separate out the sheep and the goats. The sheep will inherit the kingdom, but to the goats he says: “depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25).
- In Matt. 13:41-42, Jesus teaches: “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
These are the words of the Son of Man, Jesus! This is not the culture’s repackaged version of Jesus! The message of the pouring out God’s wrath is all throughout Scripture. Consider Colossians 3:5-6:
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
Who can escape this? Who hasn’t been impure? Who hadn’t had wrong motives? Who hasn’t coveted or been selfish, greedy, lustful, or bitter? Who of us has fully loved the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind?
When God pours out his wrath, all of us are caught up in the destruction. None of us can escape. None of us are innocent. We all have guilt and blood on our hands. You can hide in the mountains or bury your head, but on that day you cannot escape the wrath of the Lamb.
The First “It Is Finished”
While the last “it is finished” signals the outpouring of God’s wrath on all evil, the first “it is finished” also deals with wrath…but this time it’s poured out on someone else.
While on the cross, Jesus cries out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). This is not him pouring out the wrath on unrepentant sinners. This is where he took the wrath on himself for all who would believe.
The cross is rugged, violent, and bloody because Jesus was taking our beating, our judgment, our hell. The justice of God and the love of God meet at the cross. Knowing the magnitude of his wrath helps us see the greatness of his love that he would bear it on our behalf.
Those who repent and trust in Christ can be forgiven because their sin has been dealt with on the cross. When the wrath of God is poured out at the return of Christ, those who are shielded by the cross will be spared. Scripture teaches about this transfer of God’s wrath for those who believe:
- “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” -John 3:36
- “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” -Romans 5:9
Without the cross, all our sins would be dealt with at the last “It is finished” when God pours out his wrath eternally on the guilty. But, since Jesus went to the cross, the wrath of God for those who repent and believe is placed on Christ instead. Sinners can be forgiven and made clean.
To the Believer and Unbeliever
To the unbeliever: Talking about sin and God’s wrath isn’t meant just to make you feel uncomfortable…the goal is your redemption. You need to feel the weight of your sin and believe the certainty of God’s coming wrath, but hopefully that will lead you to repentance. No matter what you’ve done, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is powerful enough to atone for you if you’ll place your faith in him and repent.
To the believer: Continually remind yourself that outside of God’s grace, you are guilty and deserve his wrath. But, we can celebrate because his body was broken and his blood was spilt. Your body won’t be broken, and your blood won’t be spilt because his was. Praise God that you won’t have to feel the wrath of God you deserve on that day. When he said, “It is finished” the first time, he meant his sacrifice was sufficient for you so you won’t face the plagues at the second “It is finished.”
Rejoice and praise him for his mercy!
